Year in Review: Johnson established himself as a true ace during the summer of 2008 and hasn't looked back. He finished 2009 with a 15-5 record, 3.23 ERA and a career-best 1.16 WHIP. He posted the best K/9 of his career with a mark of 8.22 and his FIP (3.06) ranked among the top 10 in baseball. He also lowered his BB/9 to a career-low 2.55 and induced ground balls at a rate of 50.3%. That's quite the feat for a guy who relies heavily on a straight-forward fastball. Johnson threw that fastball, which averages a velocity of 95.1 MPH, 68.4% of the time in 2009, and paired it with a devastating slider and change-up. He has all the tools of a dominating starter and continues to put the pieces together.

The Year Ahead: There's no doubt Johnson is one of the top hurlers in the game and the way he's improved steadily over the last four seasons has baseball folks everywhere giddy to discover what's in store for the 26-year-old. The Marlins consistently field a lineup of young, talented players despite a limited payroll, so the win potential should be fine for their starters. If Johnson gets enough run support and a touch of luck, he's plenty capable of compiling 20 wins. The 6'7" right-hander also has what it takes to post an ERA in the 2.00s in any given season and an equally impressive WHIP. Look for him to set the tone early as the Marlins' Opening Day starter in 2010. There has been some talk of the affordable Johnson being traded by the beginning of the 2010 season to maximize his value; a move to a better team should only improve his statistics. (Drew Silva)

Profile: The biggest Fish treated the National League like a small pond, finishing fifth in the Cy Young voting despite only winning 11 games and missing the last month of the season. The injuries are a bit worrisome -- he had Tommy John surgery in 2008, and a shoulder injury can be devastating to a pitcher -- but the Marlins have been talking about him as their Opening Day starter in 2011. Johnson was great in 2009, but otherworldly in 2010, largely because of an increased strikeout rate and a sharply decreased home-run rate at home, especially noteworthy since he's not a ground-ball pitcher. His road totals were still good -- 3.25 ERA, 2.19 K/BB -- but it was his utter dominance in Miami that made his year. His split isn't usually that dramatic, and it's safe to imagine that his home-run rate will climb back up next year. Still, even if it does, he's a good bet for a K/BB around 3.0 and an ERA around 3.00. The Marlins were smart to lock him up through 2013, and as long as he doesn’t have more arm pain, he’ll be one of the best pitchers in the league. (Alex Remington)

The Quick Opinion: The biggest Fish treated the National League like a small pond. As long as he doesn’t have more arm pain, he’ll be one of the best pitchers in the league.

Profile: Josh Johnson entered the 2011 season as one of the top pitchers in the league. In 2010, he led the league in ERA (2.30) and home run rate (0.3). He was limited to 183 innings because of an injury to his pitching shoulder. He came back in 2011 with a vengeance. In nine starts, he had a 1.64 ERA and sub-one WHIP. In his last start, his fastball speed dropped two MPH from its norm. It was the last time he pitched in 2011. Some reports have Johnson being 100% for Spring Training, but no one knows for sure. The key evaluating him is to see him go deep into a game in Spring Training and if he misses any starts. The more he throws, the higher he should move up in drafts. If it's available, compare his Pitch F/x data to make sure he has the same arm slot and movement as in 2010 to 2011. He has the potential to be a top-ten pitcher if he is healthy and produces like he has in past seasons. Or he could be a shell of his former self. Johnson is one the highest risk/reward picks in the draft. (Jeff Zimmerman)

The Quick Opinion: Johnson is coming back from a 2011 shoulder injury and has the potential to be a top-ten starter in 2012.

Profile: Can Josh Johnson rediscover his fastball velocity? It is the likely key to any ace-level performance to be had in the American League East. Johnson's fastball doesn't blaze like it did prior to his shoulder injuries, and 2012 saw a more ineffective pitcher across the board -- fewer strikeouts, more walks, fewer ground balls, and more home runs. Even if Johnson regresses toward his past form, any statistical improvement from 2012 is suppressed by Rogers Centre and the quality of the AL East. So he's not an ace anymore, instead a solid number-two type pitcher given his still-sharp secondary stuff. (Jack Moore)

The Quick Opinion: Unless Johnson regains the fastball velocity he lost between 2011 and 2012, returning to the overall numbers he posted from 2009-2011 seems unlikely. Throw in a move to Toronto's Rogers Centre and the likelihood of fantasy ace numbers only decreases. More of a number two or number three than an ace now.

Profile: It is hard to come up with a satisfactory gambling metaphor for Josh Johnson's fantasy value, so why bother? Johnson was arguable the biggest disappointment on a 2013 Blue Jays team full of them, giving up hits, homers, and runs aplenty before he (surprise!) went down with a forearm injury. The tough part as fantasy owners is balancing his dreadful 2013 season with the reality that even when injured in prior seasons, he was pretty much always a very good pitcher. Even among his healthy seasons, Johnson has only pitched more than 200 innings in one season, back in 2009. Moreover, his fastball velocity has been declining pretty steadily every season since then. His control also seems to be getting worse. Perhaps his change up caused some of the injury issues he has had in the past, but gradually eliminating it from his repertoire might also give hitters an advantage. On the "pro" side, Johnson's fastball still is in the low-90s, his 2013 home run rate was probably a fluke, and he still struck out a high proportion of batters. Also good for his fantasy value in 2014 is that he has signed with the Padres, who still have a pitcher-friendly park. Getting to pitch to pitchers again will also help. Johnson is still an innings gamble. He's probably still capable of putting up an ERA in the mid-3s, especially in an NL pitchers' park. He should definitely be drafted in all NL leagues and some bigger leagues, but do not count on him for major production. He is obviously an upside pick. (Matt Klaassen)

The Quick Opinion: Josh Johnson's terrible 2013 and injury history make him a high-risk pick, so he is no longer a number two fantasy pitcher you can trust. However, his good peripherals even in 2013 and prior performance means owners should not allow him to drop too far in NL-only leagues in particular.

Profile: After dealing with various forearm and elbow injuries in 2013, Johnson needed his second Tommy John surgery early in the 2014 season. Because it is his second surgery, his earliest return would be in mid 2015, but the time frame could be pushed back and he may not pitch at all. If he returns and pitches for the Padres, it will likely be in the bullpen where he put up okay numbers in 2013 with the Blue Jays (9.2 strikeouts and 3.3 walks per nine). He did allow 1.7 home runs per nine which led to a high ERA (6.20) and FIP (4.62). In leagues with unlimited disabled list spots, he could be picked up and stashed. Otherwise, there isn't a great reason to own him after the draft. (Jeff Zimmerman)

The Quick Opinion: Josh Johnson may not pitch at all in 2015 and if he does it will probably in the bullpen. There is little reason to own him this year.